EPE Corporation will utilize the SPI within its quality assurance program, for automated inspection of its printed circuit boards. After assessing the capabilities of four systems, EPE selected the Pemtron SPI over the other offerings. "The features of the system were comparable to the other vendors we evaluated, but offered better value overall," said Matthew Amidon, EPE Corp.'s Director of Manufacturing Operations. "The thing that stands out is the willingness of Pemtron engineering to provide custom solutions to meet our needs."

Critical Inspection NeedsEPE's critical inspection requirements called for an SPI solution that would meet the demands of its unique operation. The systems are used in-line to inspect 100 percent of all of its screen printed boards prior to assembly, allowing the printed boards to move into the assembly equipment only after they pass the measurement criteria set at SPI system.

"The equipment prevents us from populating boards that have inadequate solder paste deposits — effectively preventing solder related defects from occurring during the assembly process," said Amidon. "The 5700 SPI immediately identifies problems with the screen printer setup, allowing us to eliminate problems before they occur. Our first pass test yields have increased dramatically on low running prototype and production builds. The systems have allowed us to reduce non-value added labor by eliminating an SMT touch-up step from the process," he added.

According to the company, the intuitive software offers powerful inspection capability, with quick and easy programming in 5 to 10 minutes. The Gerber import module and user-friendly, step-by-step programming minimizes set-up time and ensures ease-of-use for users at any level. A graphical interface displays all key functions in one convenient window, eliminating the need to switch between multiple screens.

Fully Automated OperationThe TROI can be set to fully automated defect classification or operator classification mode. Classifying defects by operator provides convenient, easy-to-read results and full-color 2D and 3D solder paste views. In addition, statistical data collection is stored for process control in commonly used database formats, which users can sort, recall and print in various chart and graph formats. "The team at Pemtron has been incredibly responsive to our needs," said Amidon. "They have worked with us on every aspect of programming, providing us with the specific features we need. It is that kind of service that makes us confident working with Pemtron. The system has proven to be a very effective quality control tool for our organization and we look forward to working with them in the future for our SPI inspection needs."